Lake Street Ambassadors

Working at Street Level – Year 5

Check out a news feature on this year's Ambassadors at KARE11.com!

And this one from the KSTP Morning News

June 17, 2008 marked the beginning of the 5th year of the Lake Street Ambassadors program! This year we have 2 teams of 4 kids each, with each team working on a different section of Lake Street daily, so we'll have more trash picked up than ever this summer. Be sure to look for them as they go up and down the street with their "Visit Lake Street USA" t-shirts keeping Lake Street clean!

What is the Lake Street Ambassadors Program?
From mid-June through August, the Lake Street Co uncil’s young crew is on Lake Street come rain or shine. Those days over 90º don't keep the Lake Street Ambassadors from hitting the street with trash bags and pik stiks in hand. The Lake Street Ambassadors wear recognizable t-shirts. They know a cleaner street equals more business. Their efforts to keep the street clean are for the betterment of business and make a very real difference in keeping the public areas of Lake Street more welcoming. Business and property owners have the opportunity to meet them and thank them for their work. Because they use the bus to travel up and down Lake Street, they also have the opportunity to meet and greet many visitors to the Lake Street area.

Our young people are hired because they are looking for an opportunity to work in the local business community and gain experience that will help guide their decisions following graduation from high school. They find that and more with the Lake Street Ambassadors program.

2008 Sponsors include: Lake Street Council; City of Minneapolis; Allina; area business associations at Chicago Avenue, Hiawatha, Bloomington-Cedar, Nicollet, Lyndale and Longfellow; Ryan Companies; Metro Transit; and US Bank. This is one of the very best ways to teach our young people about the Lake Street business community.

Here's what last year's Ambassadors had to say about their summer:

"I felt like I was giving back to the community that raised me by making our street, Lake Street, cleaner."

"My experience working here as a Lake Street Ambassador this summer has been fun, and also a learning experience."

“Many business owners would thank us for what we were doing and give us water, sometimes lunch. They appreciated us picking up trash in front of their buildings.”

"I visited a lot of businesses in Lake Street and I was so excited to meet different people from different cultures."

"This summer has taught me a lot of responsibility of how I want to live in America."